Although facsimile machines have been available for some time, their operation is somewhat complex for those who do not use them on a frequent basis. Although it is a very useful business communicating tool, unless means are provided to simplify its operation, there are many who will not make use of its benefits due to the difficulty in having to obtain training or reading manuals merely to get started in its use.
An example of a business in which this may occur is in the area of medical claims analysis and review. In this business a party at one location may need to transmit requests for information to another location or department, often without a good working knowledge regarding the specific party or department to which the request should be sent. The party merely knows a general subject matter for the issue at hand. Also the party who needs to transmit a request for information may be unskilled in the use of facsimile machines. What is needed is a simplified means for assisting users, and particularly unskilled users, to operate a facsimile machine allowing them to transmit documents on the basis of subject matter, information needed, area of interest, or other selected indicia of location.
Facsimile machines often have a series of control buttons, some of which may be programmed to speed dial to a preselected receiving location. Further, such machines generally have a document infeed and a document outfeed.
A general object of the present invention is to provide a novel device for assisting users in transmitting documents to selected locations.
More particularly, an object is to provide such a device which includes a housing for receiving a facsimile machine and keying elements overlying control elements on the facsimile machine, which keying elements have simplified indicia of operation thereon permitting a user easily to determine and actuate control elements on the facsimile machine to activate the machine to transmit a document to a preselected location evidenced by the simplified indicia on the keying elements.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide such a device in which a flexible membrane is mounted on the housing overlying the control elements of the facsimile machine received in the housing, the membrane has simplified transmission indicia regions thereon, and the regions may be discretely pressed downwardly by a user against underlying control elements to transmit documents to select locations.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a device wherein the housing substantially covers the facsimile machine to provide protection from wear and tear and particularly that which may occur by untrained users attempting to access the machine for use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a device wherein the housing has means for assisting and guiding of documents into the infeed region of the machine to simplify the feed of documents for transmission.
A further object is to provide such a housing which also includes holding bays for supplies to be close at hand for users of the machine.